Americans in Cuba
March 22, 2019
Havana, Cuba
We’re Americans.
In Cuba. Communist Cuba.
But we’re not just any regular ol’ citizens. Instead we are demonstrably patriotic, flag waving, freedom loving, Constitution defending, God fearing, civic minded Americans.
We work to keep our citizens more informed and involved in the process of this great Republic.
And we are Americans who ended up spending a day in communist Havana, Cuba.
Annually, the Mrs and I take a trip with work colleagues,
usually in the late winter/early Spring to someplace warm. We work hard, so we can play hard (or relaxed). This year’s original plan was to all meet in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. That was scrapped as the continued drug cartel violence (notably at a resort very much like one we have used in years passed and would choose to use this year) caused our danger-aware travel agent to opt for a Caribbean cruise. Options at that slightly later date of booking, availability for a substantial group within the short 5 day-ish confines of the calendar zone of March, left us with an ironic option: A two port-of-call cruise to Nassau, Bahamas and Havana, Cuba.
Quick, recent history lesson: in 2014 the Obama Administration began the diplomatic thaw with the Castro regime allowing cruise ships (carrying Americans) to dock in 3 cities in Cuba. The agreement involved paperwork and visa costs unlike other parts of the world, but they were worth it for what, to many like me, the Mrs and my colleagues, will be a once in a lifetime visit. The paperwork explicitly says it’s for person-to-person cultural exchange.
Quick, recent history lesson: in 2014 the Obama Administration began the diplomatic thaw with the Castro regime allowing cruise ships (carrying Americans) to dock in 3 cities in Cuba. The agreement involved paperwork and visa costs unlike other parts of the world, but they were worth it for what, to many like me, the Mrs and my colleagues, will be a once in a lifetime visit. The paperwork explicitly says it’s for person-to-person cultural exchange.
Not tourism.
Not commerce.
Person-to-person cultural exchange.
If you’ve never cruised, you should. It’s a unique travel experience. And let me explain port-of-call days. Every cruise line has ready made excursions in every port involving sightseeing, athletic opportunities, beach time and historical interests. This Havana stop was overloaded with guided sightseeing historical tours laced with meals and shopping for cigars, rum and coffee. Places of historical import to see included Revolucion Square, Ernest Hemingway’s haunts and houses, culturally distinctive neighborhoods like Fusterlandia
and Ministry Row and Embassies for many nations from Russia (visibly grey and creepy) to South Africa (manicured and beautiful) to a very modern building that was unmistakably closed -The US Embassy.
The sight of our shuttered Embassy leads to thoughts and questions of Diplomacy,
Cultural exchange,
Redeeming a fractured relationship,
Next steps.
Obama re-opened the long closed Embassy.
Trump closed it after many State Department employees were injured in high tech auditory/physical attacks.
But it’s not as simple as that; it’s just not that Obama is a hero and Trump a villain, though the Cuban people see it that way from their limited information perch.
I’m not exaggerating.
Food and commodities are in short supply and high demand. Gas at $7 per liter makes you sit up and take notice. Being warned to bring toilet paper with you should make any modern person ask “Really?” But from what our tour guide and driver explained to us and in certain areas, showed us...things are improving as each tourist arrives from the Far East, South America, Europe, Canada and even the U.S. via a cruise liner.
Unlike some utopian idealists I’ve listened to over the years and even recently heard yak from D.C., I don’t believe you can trustfully negotiate with totalitarians, despots or terrorists. History shows us they can be bribed, manipulated, tricked and sometimes bought off, but never trusted. All that said, there may be no clear move as long as the Castros continue to oppress their people.
It may be as simple as some freedom loving Americans cruising to Havana to talk and listen to, eat, travel, and laugh with Cubans for an afternoon. If the cruise ship can stay in port overnight, then dancing and live music with the Cubans could create another point for cultural exchange and “what if” dreaming on their end. Possibly, then, those Cuban “huddled masses yearning to breathe free” may, just may be inclined to add another chapter to their own Cuban revolutionary journals where they trust the Cuban People more than dictators.
Viva la Revolucion FREEDOM!
